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Listening to Addicts, HIV and TB Patients in Ukraine

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U.S. Embassy Policy Specialist fellow Jennifer Carroll writes a guest blog about her experiences conducting ethnographic research among individuals seeking treatment for a combination of opiate addiction, HIV and TB in Ukraine. 

“This isn’t American heroin!” he laughs. The joke is on me. This methadone patient has told me many times during our interview that I am asking questions like an American. I listen intently as he explains how I’ve got it all wrong. “This is Ukrainian smack,” he says. “We’re chemists. We extract the stuff ourselves from poppies and solvents… In America, you don’t do this kind of thing.” He is not the first person to remind me that foreign researchers have a lot to learn about what it is like to be a Ukrainian drug user.

Students, Teachers & Advocates: Education’s Frontline Defenders on Malala Day

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The situation is grave: 12 million children in Pakistan have never attended school (two-thirds of them girls), Pakistani teachers killed for educating young women, and the bombing of girls’ schools. Female students have been targeted for attacks including the well-known shooting of Malala Yousafzai and her peers. That’s why hundreds of youth from around the globe are taking over the United Nations on July 12 to advocate for their right to safe education. 

The situation is grave: 12 million children in Pakistan have never attended school (two-thirds of them girls), Pakistani teachers killed for educating young women, and the bombing of girls’ schools. Female students have been targeted for attacks including the well-known shooting of Malala Yousafzai and her peers.

7 Ways to Work with LGBT Communities in International Development

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"These people are fighting for survival in societies that are hostile to their very existence," said Dr. Chloe Schwenke, who described LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people as being "embattled." She, along with three other global LGBT experts -- Urooj Arshad, Victor Mukasa, and Ryan Ubuntu Olson -- spoke at a recent IREX event on how the international development community could best work with LGBT populations globally.

As the vulnerability of LGBT people around the world has been well-documented by organizations such as the UN and Human Rights Watch, the experts offered these key recommendations for those working with LGBT groups abroad: 

"These people are fighting for survival in societies that are hostile to their very existence," said Dr.

Looking Forward

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This month, in honor of IREX’s 45th anniversary, Allen Kassof, a founder of IREX, gives us a fascinating account of the power of knowledge for individuals and institutions. From IREX’s founding to its international presence today, Allen and his colleagues led the way. We are all grateful that he is still an active member of our IREX family and a resource for facts and advice.

This month, in honor of IREX’s 45th anniversary, Allen Kassof, a founder of IREX, gives us a fascinating account of the power of knowledge for individuals and institutions. From IREX’s founding to its international presence today, Allen and his colleagues led the way. We are all grateful that he is still an active member of our IREX family and a resource for facts and advice.

Women, Conflict and Peacebuilding: 6 Best Practices

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Recently, IREX hosted four experts who offer up much needed wisdom during the panel discussion, “More than Victims: Women’s Roles in the Syrian Conflict.” Here are six concrete recommendations they made for the international development community:

“One of the problems is that we have this monolithic notion of women, it’s like we’re either all victims or we’re all political activists,” explained Sanam Anderlini, Co-Founder of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). It’s nearly impossible to comprehend all the ways that women matter to development during conflict.

Achieving Our Goals

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In the development world, goals often seem far away, over the horizon at least. Goals frequently seem to recede as we approach and morph into new forms. One reason, of course, is that time and circumstances change goals. Another is that actually achieving a goal requires an extraordinary commitment - to do whatever is necessary to achieve the aim. 

In the development world, goals often seem far away, over the horizon at least. Goals frequently seem to recede as we approach and morph into new forms. One reason, of course, is that time and circumstances change goals. Another is that actually achieving a goal requires an extraordinary commitment - to do whatever is necessary to achieve the aim. So goals often remain in a safe zone, where they are aspirational or inspirational but not actually expected to be reached.

Promoting Smart Tech to Improve Education

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In tight budget environments it is tempting to view ICT equipment and training as a luxury to cut. We can all think of a case where technology for technology’s sake hasn’t worked: an unused laptop in the corner of an overfilled classroom, an interactive whiteboard at a school without adequate electricity to support its use, a smartphone game developed for a population of youth without access to smartphones. 

In fact, now is the time for a focus on smart technology integration in all levels of education.

In tight budget environments it is tempting to view ICT equipment and training as a luxury to cut. We can all think of a case where technology for technology’s sake hasn’t worked: an unused laptop in the corner of an overfilled classroom, an interactive whiteboard at a school without adequate electricity to support its use, a smartphone game developed for a population of youth without access to smartphones.

Protecting Monkeys, Strengthening Civil Society in Liberia

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Community-based institutions, whether they be civil society groups or community radio stations, have the reach and community buy-in to best serve citizens’ needs, and advocate on citizens’ behalf. On a recent trip to Gbarnga, in Bong County, I learned first-hand the breadth of that reach and the exciting cumulative effect of the mentorship and training that the Civil Society and Media Leadership Program in Liberia (CSML) has been providing since 2010.

Community-based institutions, whether they be civil society groups or community radio stations, have the reach and community buy-in to best serve citizens’ needs, and advocate on citizens’ behalf.

Changing Lives at 45

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Forty-five years after IREX’s visionary founders established a single overseas office in Armenia, their NGO progeny works with 125 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Over half a million people were touched by IREX staff and projects last year. “Make a better world” is not only our commitment, it is our operational plan. Somewhere around the world at every hour of the day, IREX’ers are making a difference. Yes, it’s people, it’s time, it’s money that make that difference, but the key component is the power of ideas.

Forty-five years after IREX’s visionary founders established a single overseas office in Armenia, their NGO progeny works with 125 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Over half a million people were touched by IREX staff and projects last year. “Make a better world” is not only our commitment, it is our operational plan. Somewhere around the world at every hour of the day, IREX’ers are making a difference. Yes, it’s people, it’s time, it’s money that make that difference, but the key component is the power of ideas.

Invest in Girls in ICT

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The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.

The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.

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